Inset: Israel Trevino Jr. (Wallin Funeral Homes). Background: Joe Gomez Jr. giving a thumbs-up at his sentencing hearing (KFSN).
During a sentencing in California, intense emotions were on display as a convicted murderer faced the family of the victim. The son of the man who was killed lashed out at the killer, expressing his anger and making threats towards him. He shouted, “That was my dad! Motherf—er! I’m going to f—ing hunt you, and when you come out, I’m going to eat your f—ing heart!”
Video footage captured Israel Trevino III, the son of the victim Israel Trevino Jr., confronting Joe Gomez Jr., the man responsible for his father’s death. Gomez received a life sentence for killing Trevino Jr. and injuring Trevino on May 2, 2021. The footage shows Gomez responding with a thumbs-up gesture to a television camera, provoking Trevino III’s outburst.
“You couldn’t take me, huh?” Trevino is heard screaming. “Huh, motherf—er?”
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As the situation escalated, court deputies intervened by guiding Gomez to the back of the courtroom while Trevino continued to verbally attack him. Following the outburst, Fresno County Judge Arlan Harrell addressed Trevino, acknowledging his feelings but reminding him not to direct his anger towards the court officials, stating, “You have every right to let it out. But please do not take it out on these people who are here doing their job. OK?”
Gomez, 63, gunned down Trevino Jr., 57, outside his home in Parlier, a city located around 20 miles southeast of Fresno, and also shot Trevino in an act that he claimed was self-defense. Gomez was charged with murder, attempted murder and assault, and pleaded not guilty.
“The defendant pulled out a firearm, pointed it at Junior,” Deputy District Attorney Nicole Idiart said in court in July 2024 during Gomez’s trial, per KFSN. “Junior rushed the defendant, at which point he was fatally shot,” Idiart said.
Trevino testified at Gomez’s trial and described almost dying in a hail of bullets. “I got shot in the belly,” Trevino said. “Twice in the belly, twice in the pelvis, and once in the eye.”
Before the shooting, Gomez drove around the block several times — stopping in the middle of the road “to rev [his] engine” — before confronting the father and son, according to Trevino.
“He said your grandfather has been talking s— on Facebook,” Trevino III testified, according to KFSN. Central California digital news outlet GV Wire reported that Israel Trevino Sr. told the court he does not use social media and did not make any threats.
Gomez’s lawyers claimed at his trial that he was “being pushed and knocked down” before he opened fire.
“While he’s being knocked down … his gun is going off,” said defense attorney Tony Capozzi, KFSN reported.
Harrell reportedly noted at Gomez’s sentencing how a motive was never actually confirmed or revealed at trial.
“The big question is, ‘Why?’” the judge said. “It’s never been addressed. It’s never been answered.”
“The defendant, Joe Gomez’s, constitutional due process rights to a fair trial and an impartial trial were violated with suppression of evidence by a state attorney and the conviction of (inaudible) perjury,” Gomez said.
Harrell denied a request for a new trial Thursday and Gomez now has 60 days to file his appeal, KFSN reports.
